Another interesting tid bit from the Buffalo News

[WNYresident]

Joseph E. Foley, president of the firefighters union, also expects legal action to be taken against the control board for alleged violations of the open meetings law. He believes any and all discussions of the wage freeze took place in secret meetings.

"If the control board wants to fight, they'll have to fight us at every single level. I . . . don't think the control board understands what it means when they take on labor," said Foley.

I dont think Foley understands what it like to take on the taxpayer.

[WNYresident]

Philip Rumore, president of the Buffalo Teachers Federation, blasted the freeze and said it will make it more difficult for the Board of Education to reach contract agreements with the BTF and eight other unions currently in negotiations.

Negotiations are over. THey have had thier hands in the cookie jar long enough. YOu think they would be greatful for what they have received over the years. THe community as a whole if far more important than one union.

[WNYresident]

"It's clear that the control board came here with an agenda to dissolve the city," said William C. Travis, who represents about 1,300 blue-collar employees. "Today, they basically said, "We're going to move forward with that agenda whether you cooperate or not.' "

Isn't this the point of the control board?

[citymouse]

Rumore and Foley are not out of line. The contracts were negotiated in good faith and the city is legally bound to abide by them.
This out of control board has an agenda. To dissolve the city of Buffalo and put the power of controlling it into the hands of King Joel. Also to brake the public sector unions in wny. The reason for this precedent is so they can go after the bigger fish in Albanty and NYC. That is where Pataki and Rudnick come in. They are actually not allowed by law to do what they are trying to do so it will be setteled in court and they will get thier ears pinned back.

[citymouse]

The point of the control board is to monitor city spending and tell the city if it will release funds for this or that all the while keeping them in budget.
They are not supposed to dictate policy and pass legislation or impose thier will or agenda on the city.
These moves will not survive court callanges.
When you have a group of elitist rich business men and women deciding if the peons should have cake or crumbs it tells you right there that they are representing thier own intrests.
Did'nt Joel just say how he was worth a 40,000 dollar raise. A month ago? Now he says it would be fiscally unresponsible to give the cops raises that were agreed on before they even sat down for the first cup of coffee.
Does this mean that the cops can now go back to two officer cars because thier contract was not honored. I think they can freeze the one officer cars just like the other parts of the agreement were frozen.

[Curmudgeon]

They are actually not allowed by law to do what they are trying to do so it will be setteled in court and they will get thier ears pinned back.

?

The Control Board is an emergency entity created to deal with the out-of-control costs and deadlocks in the city. If you want to call it "union busting", that's your business.

The court system is going to give a GREAT DEAL of deference to the board and it's powers. A Control Board is the tool of last resort to deal with dysfunctional municipalities that are unable to control their own costs. To override a Control Boards authority is to say that they are as powerless as any other government entity when it comes to managing the city. If that occurs, the city will be deemed unmanageable, taxpayers and businesses will flee, and the bond market will no longer issue debt to the city. In short, the local economy will implode. The judicial branch won't want to take the responsibility of allowing a financial crisis to happen. That is why they will defer to the executive branch and their "emergency powers" of a control board.


Albany knows that the current system is unsustainable. You're right - The reason for this precedent is so they can go after the bigger fish in Albanty and NYC. Buffalo will be a precident-setting battle and I think we will see a LOT of changes in how we do NYS collective bargianing and fixed costs in the near future. There really aren't any other alternatives. Hold on - it's going to be a bumpy ride......

[Deerhunter]

contracts signed before the CB took over will be honored. I wouldn't mind going back to having a partner in the car either.

[buffnik]

Hold on - it's going to be a bumpy ride......

and a long one... June 30, 2037 to be precise, unless the city can straighten out before then for three consecutive years. Not good odds.

[citymouse]

It is not going to happen . The aim is to bankrupt the city. Dissolve it. Then turn the operation over to the county. It is all political.
The blue collar unit has had to legal challanges to the control board concerning past agreements the control board and city won't honor and has won them both. Why are the other cases against this new move going to be any different?
You break the law by failing to honor an agreement by going outside your mandate the court will rule against you.
Pure and simple.
The out of control board knows this yet they keep callenging things they know they will loose. Why?
I'll tell you.
To but a financial drain on the unions and brake them that way. It is the only card they hold.

[WNYresident]

What make you think the public wants the county to control the city. They can't control thierselves so they are not qualified to handle the city also.

[Curmudgeon]

contracts signed before the CB took over will be honored. I wouldn't mind going back to having a partner in the car either.

If the city is dissolved - so be it. That means the end of the BPD as well. Good riddance. Then Beerhunter can apply for a job with the E.C. Sherriffs and a partner in his car won't even be an issue.

[WNYresident]

Whole issue is it's not like they are paid badly. They just want more. Pretty ignorant when you look at WNY/NYS taxes.

Perhaps the unions should start pointing out how the politicians along with the developers/venders are boning the WNY area. This way we can see where the union are not the cause of tax increases.

[morphinebrian]

It would be one thing if the police didn't make concessions to get raises, but they did. Their jobs are substantiouly more dangerous as a result of this contract. Now they are getting nothing for it. This is knife in the back of the city workers.

You can argue that they are overpaid, that is fine, but they signed these contracts in good faith that they would be argued. I was amazed to read that the courts have sided on the side of the control boards in these instances. I wish I could back out of some of the contracts I have signed but I can't. But I deal with it. So should the city.

[WNYresident]

People sign contracts for new cars, mortages and crap happens. You lose your job, you get disabled and you can't cover your bills. Buffalo lost revenue.

THis is NOT a shot but I believe a firemans job is much more dangerious than a police officer or road contruction crew.

BY the way how often is a police person injured in the line of duty compared to other professions in the area?

A firemen acutally said a police persons job isn't as dangerious as they lead you to believe injury wise? Any comments?

[hamburger]

[i] This out of control board has an agenda. . . . Also to brake the public sector unions in wny. The reason for this precedent is so they can go after the bigger fish in Albanty and NYC. [/B]

But isn't that the point? To exercise some means of control on the bloated payroll of the State and Local Civil Servant ranks. To put some fiscal responsbility back into the way that government does business?

It's a tiered old line, but the economy of this area sucks!!! The taxpayers cannot continue to support the gov't employee infrastructure. There has to be a beginning . . .